Because of the multitude of different electronic devices and applications in vehicles, such as navigation devices, driver assistance systems such as adaptive cruise control, AUDIO and entertainment systems, multifunctional operating devices are provided in many vehicles, with the aid of which these units and applications are able to be operated via one or more menu structures.
One method for reducing the computing power and storage resources required for displaying a graphics system constructed of a plurality of image planes is described in European Published Patent Application No. 0 352 012. So-called priorities are assigned to individual image points, in this context, only the image points having the highest priority being displayed. If the image of one plane is only of a small moving object, then, for an image sequence, only the image points referring to the moving object have to be newly calculated.
A multifunctional operating device is described in European Published Patent Application No. 0 701 926, which has a display device for displaying the dialed up menu planes, individual operating elements assigned to the individual device groups, devices or applications, as well as a multifunctional operating element for dialing up and selecting the functions individually assigned to them. The individual functions are displayed on one or a plurality of operating surfaces, the selected function being graphically highlighted. An enlarged display or optical correspondence are given as specific arrangements.
Furthermore, one may gather a display instrument, from European Published Patent Application No. 1 055 543, which is made up of several display elements which, at least partially, mutually overlap. The essential data for the operating conditions, such as warning signs, can be displayed on the display element situated closest to the viewer. The display elements are connected to the housing via a plug connection, and are thus able to be retrofitted or exchanged at a later time, without problem, in order to satisfy even individual requirements.
A method for displaying primary and secondary data for use especially in navigation devices is described in German Published Patent Application No. 199 44 067. The meaningfulness of the directions changes with advancing time and distance traveled. The instruction to turn off to the right at the next intersection is still rather less important at a distance of 2 km, whereas, at the latest at the time for setting the blinker signal, it is highly important. For the visual discrimination of display contents corresponding to their meaningfulness, the brightness or color of the displayed symbols is changed.